weight loss

[NoblePanda]

Hi,

Our piggies have lost 33 grams since they came to us in January. Is this a worry? Their behaviour is fine and they are generally happy, they eat veg and hay and pellets (tablespoon each a day). We could top up their hay more so they have more fresh hay? But they always have a lot of hay accessible.
Should we be worried and book a vet visit?

Thanks!
P.s. attached pic of boys just taken

 

[Lady Kelly]

How often do you weigh? Ideally you will weigh weekly. This weight loss could be the difference between full/empty bladder or stomach. Generally we look at concerning weight loss of over 50g in one go or consistent weight loss so if they lost 33g but the weight was consistently reducing over several weeks then that would also warrant a vet visit

 

[Wiebke]

Hi,

Our piggies have lost 33 grams since they came to us in January. Is this a worry? Their behaviour is fine and they are generally happy, they eat veg and hay and pellets (tablespoon each a day). We could top up their hay more so they have more fresh hay? But they always have a lot of hay accessible.
Should we be worried and book a vet visit?

Thanks!
P.s. attached pic of boys just taken

Hi!

How old are your piggies? Are they indoors?

Please provide unlimited fresh hay at all times; hay and fresh grass should make around 80% of the daily food intake. You learn how much they usually go through in a day and just give a little more.
A Comprehensive Hay Guide for Guinea Pigs (incl. providers in several countries)
Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time

We only speak of weight loss from 50g (nearly 2 oz) because the difference between an empty and a full bladder can make 10g and the difference between a full and empty belly 30-40g. The weight swings naturally in a ca. 30g band over the course of 24 hours. Please always weigh your piggies at the same time in the feeding cycle like first thing in the morning or before you feed dinner in order to minimise this weight swing.
This daily swing is less prominent if you weigh any healthy piggies once weekly all life long in combination with a weekly body check in order to pick up any developing problems early on.
You can find out a lot more useful and interesting information about weighing and weight monitoring via this guide here, including how weight changes over the course of a life time and how you can check whether your piggies are a healthy weight for their size ('heft') at any age and size and whether how urgently you should see a vet depending on the weight loss pattern: Weight - Monitoring and Management

If you have any concerns, please see a vet.

 

[NoblePanda]

Thanks - We don't weigh often enough or at a set time so I've made a schedule for us now.
Our Piggies are 3 and are indoors.
We usually fill their hay up once / twice a day and vary between hay types so there is always hay in the cage.
Thanks for the links! I don't think that it's enough for concern ATM based on that but I do think we need to do more weighing on a schedule to get some proper data on it.

 

[Hoppo79]

I’d definitely put hay on the floor as pigs are foraging animals and will prob eat more hay if it’s on the floor. Use a low litter tray or something. They can jump in and eat the hay etc and still have the hay bags to eat from too. But yeah just monitor their weights from now on. They look gorgeous!